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Ali Soufan, former FBI agent, security consultant and author of “Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against Al Qaeda” talks to the Daily Beast about terrorism.

How’s the Obama administration doing?

“Total elimination of Al Qaeda.” Soufan said. “They are hitting leaders of al Qaeda, and anyone who is known to be plotting against the United States. But at the same time they are trying to stop all the incubating factors that help terrorist recruitment, funding, P.R. and so forth. They are hitting them on different levels. A lot of people see the success of the drones…but the global partnerships that have been created have been effective – and that includes law enforcement, diplomacy, economic aid, educational program and definitely boots on the ground when needed, ie, killing Osama Bin Laden. So, I think it’s more comprehensive in nature.”

“We joke sometimes that Obama does a lot of the same tactics as George Bush, but he keeps his mouth shut,” Soufan says. “The Bush administration’s war on terror wasn’t actually working because most of our allies around the world— including England, Germany, other European countries and Muslim world—did not have the same concept the war on terror. So, it makes it difficult when you have a strategy that your partners are not buying into. No. 2, it was wrongfully viewed in the Muslim world as a war on Islam,” said Soufan.

Soufan clarified that he doesn’t “want to blame everything on the Bush Administration. I think you have to put yourself in their shoes at the time. But the two things I disagree with the Bush Administration on: the invasion of Iraq and EITs (Enhanced Interrogation Techniques), because it just created a lot of problems to our reputation around the world.”